Marcus Pettersson left the Penguins' 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators on Saturday with 3:49 left in the first period after awkwardly crashing into the boards after a hit from Drake Batherson. He hobbled to the locker room and didn't return.

Mike Sullivan didn't have an update on Pettersson after the game, saying that he was still being evaluated for a lower-body injury.

If Pettersson is to miss any time -- and he really did look to be in bad shape -- then Ryan Shea would presumably get back into the lineup on the left side. But if the Penguins are to recall a defenseman, Filip Kral and Mac Hollowell are presumably at the top of the list, with Kral potentially having an edge because he's left-handed and Hollowell is right-handed. Jack St. Ivany and Sebastian Aho are both injured.

Hollowell, 26, is tied for fourth in team scoring on Wilkes-Barre with 15 points -- all assists -- in 20 games. Kral, 25, ranks seventh with 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 15 games, having missed some time of his own due to injury.

For anyone wondering -- Harrison Brunicke isn't an option. For one, he's dealing with a wrist fracture. But even aside from that, teams can't dip into their junior prospect pool for recalls in-season unless they're on their third emergency recall situation. This isn't even an emergency recall, given that Shea is on the roster to give them six healthy defensemen otherwise.

• Erik Karlsson's breakdown of the OT goal: "They scored. Did you watch the game? Why did you ask that question?"

• No update on Marcus Pettersson from Mike Sullivan.

• Tristan Jarry on the Drake Batherson goal that redirected in off Batherson's foot: "It's a sh---- goal ... It's a tough play, and it's not part of hockey."

The Nailers' 4-1 win over the Royals in Reading, Pa. on Saturday was their 13th win in a row, setting a new record for the longest win streak in franchise history.

Kyle Jackson and Matty De St. Phalle each scored in the second period, then the Royals got on the board with 1:11 left in the middle frame. Louie Roehl extended the lead 25 seconds into the third period, and Jordan Martel made it 4-1 three minutes later. Sergei Murashov took the win with 30 saves on 31 shots.

The Nailers are also on a franchise-best 16-game point streak, going 15-0-1 in their last 16 games. Their 17-3-1 record has them atop the league in points (35) and points percentage (.833). Truly incredible stuff. I'd say Derek Army should be getting consideration for AHL coaching jobs, but I really don't think he wants to leave Wheeling until he brings a championship there. Means a lot to him. He came close as a player on the 2016 team that lost in the Kelly Cup Final, and there's a bit of an "unfinished business" mindset there.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday blew a three-goal third-period lead to the Springfield Thunderbirds, but Emil Bemstrom's overtime goal to complete a hat trick gave the Penguins a 5-4 win in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Rutger McGroarty's third goal of the year opened the scoring just 1:53 into the game -- the fastest Teddy Bear Toss goal in franchise history. Bemstrom scored on the power play later in the first. Springfield made it a one-goal game to open the second, but Valtteri Puustinen's third goal of the year on the power play and Bemstrom's second goal of the game gave the Penguins a 4-1 lead heading into the third. Springfield scored 17 seconds into the third and then came within a goal less than four minute later. A late Isaac Belliveau slashing penalty gave the Thunderbirds a power play, and the Thunderbirds pulled their goaltender to make it a 6-on-4 and capitalized to force overtime. Bemstrom scored a power-play goal 4:27 into the extra frame to win it. It was his ninth goal of the season.

Bemstrom, perpetually Wilkes-Barre's leader in shots on goal, led in this game with seven. Filip Larsson took the win with 26 saves on 30 shots.

Join me in the live file.

TAYLOR HAASE / DKPS

Whenever Mike Sullivan has been asked to assess Matt Grzelcyk's play this season, he's leaned into the positives -- Grzelcyk's ability to distribute the puck and his influence on the power play, two things he's genuinely been very good at this season. Where Grzelcyk has been lacking has been in his defensive play, obviously. So, I asked Sullivan after the skate what his thoughts have been on Grzelcyk's season defensively.

"I think it's been a little bit of an up and down game," Sullivan said. "I think lately, he's been a lot better when he's playing on his toes and he's anticipating plays and he's using his quickness and his stick and his brain. I think that's when he's at his best. You know, he's not going to go in and out-muscle guys that are bigger than he is, but he's very good with his stick. He's very good with his quickness and he's smart. He can win pucks with those attributes that he has. That's his competitive advantage. And so we're trying to encourage him to anticipate plays, play on his toes, use his stick, use his brain, use his stick skills to win puck battles and help us get out of our end. And I think he's done a nice better job as of late."

The Penguins as a whole have been better as of late, too, but Grzelcyk has started to see slightly better results, especially after being moved from the third pairing alongside Ryan Graves. 

Grzelcyk was supposed to be scratched on Nov. 27 against the Canucks, but ended up having to play that night when Owen Pickering fell ill, and has been in the lineup since. Using that Canucks game as a divider, here's how Grzelcyk's defensive numbers have changed, using per-60 five-on-five rates and where he ranks among the Penguins' defensemen:

Unblocked shot attempts against
Before: 47.78 (worst on team)
After: 46.34 (worst)

High-danger shot attempts against
Before: 15.36 (worst)
After: 13.8 (worst)

Shots on goal against
Before: 34.13 (second-worst)
After: 30.56 (third-worst)

Goals against
Before: 3.41 (third-worst)
After 2.46 (best)

So, the actual chances against have improved slightly, but are still on the lower-end for the Penguins' defensemen. But those chances have proved to be less costly. He went from being on the ice for some of the most goals against to the fewest. And again, those are rate stats, so his decreased ice time isn't the reason for the drop. It's progress.

Penguins defense prospects Kalle Kangas and Emil Pieniniemi were named to Finland’s selection camp for the upcoming World Junior Championship.